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Scoleri Brothers
The Scoleri Brothers (also known as Nunzio Scoleri and Tony Scoleri), were convicted murderers sentenced to death by electrocution by Judge Stephen "The Hammer" Wexler. History Primary Canon Stephen Wexler tried the Scoleri Brothers for murder and sentenced them to death by electrocution. In late 1989, Judge Wexler's tirade, while sentencing Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz and Egon Spengler, negatively charged the Mood slime among the court exhibits. As a result, the Scoleri Brothers manifested from the slime as apparitions strapped into ghostly electric chairs. Wexler immediately recognized them and they responded by crashing into the judge's bench. As Nunzio carried off the prosecutor into the courtroom's hall, the Ghostbusters and Louis Tully convinced Wexler to dismiss the case and rescind their judicial restraining orders, forbidding them from using their equipment, in exchange for defeating the ghosts. Peter confined Nunzio while Ray confined Tony. After they were brought to the center of the room, Egon trapped them. As Louis hoisted the loaded trap, the Ghostbusters announced to the court reporters outside that they were back in business. The prosecutor was given aid by a paramedic from an unspecified leg injury caused by Nunzio. Secondary Canon The Scoleri Brothers' mother, Mama Scoleri, was the brains behind a criminal organization based out of Albany. Winston Zeddemore (2017). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters Annual 2017" (2017) (Comic p.11). Winston Zeddemore says: "Turns out Mama Scoleri was the brains behind a criminal organization in Albany." Nunzio and Tony Scoleri were charged with murder and sentenced to death by electric chair on the order of Judge Stephen Wexler, newly appointed to the bench. When Mama found out they were given the death sentence, Mama killed herself out of grief.Winston Zeddemore (2017). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters Annual 2017" (2017) (Comic p.11). Winston Zeddemore says: "Killed herself out of grief when she heard her baby boys got the chair -- it was in all the papers." In late 1989, Wexler presided over a public nuisance charge levied on the Ghostbusters for illegally using public utility access. Winston concluded Judge Wexler already decided the Ghostbusters were guilty, so he stepped outside the courtroom. He noticed two police officers with some of the Psychomagnotheric Slime confiscated from the First Avenue incident. Winston tried to warn them it was dangerous but they got irritated and snapped at Winston. They thought he should be brought up charges, too. Before they could finish calling him a scam artist, the ectoplasm collected enough negative emotions and Mama Scoleri manifested. The officers thought it was a publicity stunt to draw sympathy for the Ghostbusters and believed Mama was someone in a costume. They drew their guns and told her to freeze. Mama was amused and shoved them with low-level telekinesis. Winston returned to the stripped down Ecto-1 outside and found one Trap. He decided to pull a "Venkman" and mocked Mama. She flew towards Winston and got trapped. Meanwhile, in the courtroom, Wexler became extremely agitated by the plaintiffs and his negativity reacted with the samples of Psychomagnotheric Slime among the evidence. As a result, the Scoleri Brothers manifested, attached to the electric chairs they were executed in. They took full elemental control of electricity and attempted to take revenge on Wexler. Narrator (2016). Insight Editions- "Tobin's Spirit Guide" (2016) (Book p.19). Paragraph reads: "The Scoleris appeared to be attached to the electric chairs they were executed in and were able to take full elemental control of electricity, which they used to attempt to revenge themselves upon the judge." After the charges were dropped and they were allowed to legally use their equipment again, the Ghostbusters quickly captured the Scoleri Brothers. Afterward, Ray told Winston about busting the Scoleri Brothers. Winston figured out he trapped Mama Scoleri. A couple of weeks into the Tiamat incident, the Scoleri Brothers appeared on Hart Island amid the Hart Island Ghosts raised by Vigo. Peter recognized the duo but recalled they were trapped. Ray confirmed this but had no idea how they got out the Containment Unit. He briefly speculated on a containment breach as the reason for their escape. Regardless of whether they were copies or temporarily removed, the Scoleri Brothers continued to be confined in the Containment Unit after the incident. Ghostheads United Facebook Erik Burnham Reply 6/12/18Erik Burnham says: "Tiamat has a lot of power and arranged that. It wasn't important that it be made explicit whether these were copies she created, or just temporary removal from where they were trapped. They're all back where they belong now. (the real reason they were out was Tom wanted to see them in the anniversary story and Dan wanted to draw them.)" Still of Ghostheads United Facebook Erik Burnham Reply 6/12/18 Winston was asked about his role in the first bust by Erik and Luis, who were writing a new book about the Ghostbusters. Winston told them the story to squash some conflicting stories and theories. Erik and Luis were stunned that's all that happened. Winston told them not every case was flashy. Description Tony Scoleri Tony Scoleri is the skinny one of the Scoleri Brothers. The front cover of the 1999 DVD front cover suggests his skin color may be an ugly brownish-yellow. He was confined by Ray and with Nunzio, was trapped by Egon. Nunzio Scoleri Nunzio Scoleri is the heavy set one of the Scoleri Brothers. The front cover of the 1999 DVD front cover suggests his skin color may be a dark purplish-blue. He carried out the prosecutor shortly after breaking free of his chair. He was confined by Peter and with Tony, was trapped by Egon. Classification Primary Canon The Scoleri Brothers are not classified during the events of the movie but the February 27, 1989 version of the movie script first lists them as Full Torso Apparitions upon their manifestation in the court room. 2/27/1989 Script, Page 40 via Spook Central Secondary Canon Insight Editions The Scoleri Brothers are anchored Class IV Noncorporeal Elemental Spirits. Narrator (2016). Insight Editions- "Tobin's Spirit Guide" (2016) (Book p.18). Paragraph reads: "CLASS IV. NONCORPOREAL ELEMENTAL SPIRITS. ANCHORED TO THE FOLEY SQUARE COURTHOUSE." Behind the Scenes In a first draft script, the Scoleri Brothers were simply described as 'Big in life, even bigger in death, the Scoleri Brothers sweep into the courtroom.' Eisenberg, Adam (November 1989). Ghostbusters Revisited, Cinefex magazine #40, page 14. Cinefex, USA. Tim Lawrence was inspired by the Blues Brothers and designed the Scoleris based on them. Visual Development Artist Henry Mayo helped refine the designs with extensive input from producer Michael C. Gross. Lawrence's original concept played more into the electricity motif. As they took steps, the floor would explode and their feet would become less distinct in the air without an electrical ground. The Scoleris were also to have spoken in Italian epithets. Eisenberg, Adam (November 1989). Ghostbusters Revisited, Cinefex magazine #40, page 14. Cinefex, USA. The Scoleri Brothers were the first ghost designs to be green-lit for the movie. Eisenberg, Adam (November 1989). Ghostbusters Revisited, Cinefex magazine #40, page 14. Cinefex, USA. Reitman became concerned the designs might have been over the top but Gross believed it would lighten the moment. Storyboard artist Thom Enriquez was tasked with boarding the scene while Reitman was finishing his work on another movie "Twins" and the courtroom set was still being built. Eisenberg, Adam (November 1989). Ghostbusters Revisited, Cinefex magazine #40, page 11,13. Cinefex, USA. Camilla Henneman was tasked with creating a fat suit for Nunzio Scoleri, who was scripted to weigh in excess of 800 pounds. Henneman took cues from Weird Al Yankovic's "Fat" video parody. Spandex pouches filled with gelatinous materials were used to simulate the undulating quality of Nunzio's flesh. The suits were then outfitted with singed prison garments. As the suits were being made, the concept of the Scoleris had changed to that they were all flying. Flying harnesses were incorporated into the suits. Eisenberg, Adam (November 1989). Ghostbusters Revisited, Cinefex magazine #40, page 14. Cinefex, USA. Nunzio's gaping mouth was created by dividing the head into two separate units. The lower jaw was attached to Lawrence's shoulders and the upper on the skullcap. Both units would be joined by a single foam latex skin so that each part could move in opposite directions. Eisenberg, Adam (November 1989). Ghostbusters Revisited, Cinefex magazine #40, page 17. Cinefex, USA. Tony Scoleri went through three stages of development. The first stage involved using a full-sized puppet with an articulated head. Mark Wilson built the prototype and video tests were promising but Dennis Muren believed the rotoscope load required would hamper the production schedule. Tony was redesigned to be portrayed by Jim Fye. Tony's head was attached to a skullcap positioned in front of and on top of Fye's head. The collarbone was lowered to elongate the neck and add to the emaciated torso design. Oversized shoes, extra lengths of cloth strips, droopy pants, and finger extensions were added to complete the skeletal look. Eisenberg, Adam (November 1989). Ghostbusters Revisited, Cinefex magazine #40, page 14. Cinefex, USA. Puppeteers controlled the Scoleris' heads with servo mechanisms and pneumatic cylinders while a computerized Synthetic Neuro-Animation Repeating Kinetics (SNARK) system helped control facial expressions in order to achiever full lip-sync on the characters. Eisenberg, Adam (November 1989). Ghostbusters Revisited, Cinefex magazine #40, page 14, 17. Cinefex, USA. Lawrence brought in Bob Cooper to make Tony's torso, Mike Smithson to make the heads, Bill Foertsch to make Nunzio's arms, and Buzz Neidig to work on additional details such as teeth and tongues. Eisenberg, Adam (November 1989). Ghostbusters Revisited, Cinefex magazine #40, page 17. Cinefex, USA. Fye and Lawrence wore the completed full body suits for hours at a time while hanging in front of a bluescreen. The Nunzio suit wore close to 80 pounds. When the Scoleri Brothers first manifest, they are seated in electrical chairs. For filming, Fye and Lawrence had to pretend to be sitting in midair. Others in the crew stayed underneath and pushed their feet up so their legs bent properly. Despite the scene of them bursting from the chairs being difficult in theory, it was filmed rather quickly. One brother was filmed in the morning and the other in the afternoon. About 5-6 shots of each were achieved each day of shooting. By the time they finished filming, the Scoleri Brothers concept had changed to much that third-scale marionettes on wires could have been used. Eisenberg, Adam (November 1989). Ghostbusters Revisited, Cinefex magazine #40, page 17. Cinefex, USA. Peter Daulton, an effects cameraman, created the movements of the Scoleri Brothers through the composite frame on a track camera. He incorporated mirror trickery, employed overall to make the ghosts of Ghostbusters II look different from the first movie. With mylar, they could squish and squash the shapes like how a funhouse mirror would distort an image. The images of the Scoleris were rephotographed on a rear projection screen then reflected onto mylar that was manipulated with motion controlled rods. This allowed for the Scoleris to move around curves, stretch at certain points, and bulge in the final version. Eisenberg, Adam (November 1989). Ghostbusters Revisited, Cinefex magazine #40, page 17-18. Cinefex, USA. See Also *Mama Scoleri Trivia *In the Ghostbusters II August 5, 1988 draft, the Scoleri Brothers erupted from the judge's bench. Aykroyd, Dan & Ramis, Harold (1988). Ghostbusters II (August 5, 1988 Draft) (Script p. 36). Paragraph reads: "Then suddenly all Hell breaks loose as TWO FULL-TORSO APPARITIONS explode out of the judge's bench." *In the Ghostbusters II August 5, 1988 draft--and in many offshoots, such as in trading cards, the novelization, and so on--the Scoleri Brothers had the power to shoot lightning from their fingers. Aykroyd, Dan & Ramis, Harold (1988). Ghostbusters II (August 5, 1988 Draft) (Script p. 37). Paragraph reads: "They pound the judge's bench to splinters, then turn toward the defense table and blast it with high-voltage finger-lightning." *In the Ghostbusters II February 27, 1989 draft, Stephen Wexler tried the Scoleri Brothers for murder in 1948 and sentenced them to death by electrocution. They were executed at Ossining Prison via the electric chair. 2/27/1989 Script, Page 41 via Spook Central **Harris Yulin was 52 years old at the time of filming. If one assumes an age of 60 in 1989, this means that Judge Wexler would have been 21 years old in 1948 at the trial of the Scoleri Brothers, far too young to preside over a death penalty case. *The Scoleri Brothers are played (uncredited) by Tim Lawrence and Jim Fye in latex suits with animatronic masks. Ostensibly, Tony and Nunzio are based on the real-life Scoleri Brothers, who once robbed Harold Ramis's father Nate Ramis' store: **"The ghosts themselves were very loosely based on the fact that my father Nate was a storekeeper who was once robbed and assaulted by the Scoleri Brothers." - Harold Ramis Eisenberg, Adam (November 1989). Ghostbusters Revisited, Cinefex magazine #40, page 11. Cinefex, USA. *Some however have suggested that they might be based instead on Tony and Eddie Scoleri, who were convicted of robbing and killing a store owner in Philadelphia in the 1960s. None of this is known for certain however. *A size reference sheet depicts Tony as 11 feet 3 inches and Nunzio as 9 feet 4 inches in height. Ghost Corps Facebook 6/16/17 *They appeared as bosses in the New Ghostbusters II Video Game and the Ghostbusters II Game Boy game. They were also rumored to appear in Ghostbusters: The Video Game, but didn't. *In NOW Comics The Real Ghostbusters starring in Ghostbusters II part 1 they are depicted as green skinned with yellow eyes with red irises. *On the Convention Cover of Ghostbusters: Get Real Issue #1, the Scoleri Brothers makes a cameo under the creative team's names. *The Scoleri Brothers appear on the IDW Convention Variant cover of 35th Anniversary: Ghostbusters. Appearances Primary Canon Ghostbusters II *Chapter 11: The Scoleri Brothers *Chapter 12: Two in the Box Secondary Canon Real Ghostbusters Starring in Ghostbusters II *Part 1 IDW Comics *Ongoing Series **Volume 2 ***Issue #17 ***Issue #18 ****Mentioned by Ray Stantz on page 14 Ray Stantz (2014). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #18" (2014) (Comic p.14). Ray says: "Oh, man. Vigo? The Scoleris?" ****Referenced on top of chalkboard on page 17 **Ghostbusters Annual 2017 ***Where Winston Was ****Mentioned by Luis on page 8. Luis (2017). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters Annual 2017" (2017) (Comic p.8). Luis says: "The editor wanted to ask about the Scoleri Brothers case." ****Mentioned by Winston Zeddemore on page 8. Winston Zeddemore (2017). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters Annual 2017" (2017) (Comic p.8). Winston Zeddemore says: "Well, the Scoleris... I wasn't in on that." ****Alluded to by Winston on page 11 Insight Editions *Tobin's Spirit Guide **Section I: Ghosts of New York ***Pages 18-19 References Gallery Primary Canon GB2film1999chapter11sc002.png|The Scoleri Brothers right after materializing from the Mood slime in the canister on the exhibit table. ScoleriBrothers.png|The Scoleri Brothers hovering near the Judge, still in their chairs. GB2film1999chapter11sc016.png|Nunzio Scoleri free from his chair. GB2film1999chapter11sc017.png|Tony Scoleri free from his chair. GB2film1999chapter11sc021.png|Tony Scoleri hovering in the room. GB2film1999chapter11sc025.png|Tony Scoleri picks up the Table the Ghostbusters were under. GB2film1999chapter11sc026.png|The Scoleri Brothers throwing the defendants table. GB2film1999chapter11sc036.png|Nunzio Scoleri dragging The Prosecutor out of the court room. GB2film1999chapter12sc021.png|The Scoleri Brothers attacking the Ghostbusters. (Round 1) GB2film1999chapter12sc024.png| GB2film1999chapter12sc025.png| GB2film1999chapter12sc027.png|The Scoleri Brothers leaving the room. GB2film1999chapter12sc032.png|Nunzio Scoleri returns. (Round 2) GB2film1999chapter12sc037.png|Peter getting Nunzio Scoleri in place to trap. GB2film1999chapter12sc042.png|Tony Scoleri comes in to join in the fun. GB2film1999chapter12sc047.png|Ray getting Tony Scoleri under control. GB2film1999chapter12sc049.png| GB2film1999chapter12sc054.png| GB2film1999chapter12sc062.png|The Scoleri Brothers being trapped. GB2DVD1999ScoleriBrothersCover.png|The brothers as seen on the 1999 DVD front cover. Secondary Canon RGBsiGB2pt1ScoleriBrotherssc02.png|The Scoleri Brothers as depicted in NOW Comics The Real Ghostbusters starring in Ghostbusters II part 1. RGBsiGB2pt1ScoleriBrotherssc01.png|The Scoleri Brothers as depicted in NOW Comics The Real Ghostbusters starring in Ghostbusters II part 1. scoleri brothers newgb2 nes.jpg|The Scoleri Brothers in the NES version of the New Ghostbusters II Video Game. ScoleriBrothersIDWOngoing01.jpg|As seen in Volume 2 Issue #17 FusionAdaptorScoleriMarduk4wdGeoffIDWV2Issue18.jpg|Reference in Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #18 ScoleriFireflyElywinStayPuftGetReal01.jpg|Cameo on Ghostbusters: Get Real Issue #1 Convention Cover NunzioScoleriInsight01.jpg|As seen on page 18 in Tobin's Spirit Guide TonyScoleriInsight01.jpg|As seen on page 19 in Tobin's Spirit Guide Behind the Scenes ScoleriBrothersSizeReferenceConcept.jpg|Size reference sheet (credit: Ghost Corps Facebook) ScoleriBrothersHenryMayoDesign01.jpg|Concepts by Henry Mayo (credit: Ghost Corps Facebook) NunzioScoleriCinefex01.jpg|Still from Cinefex #40 NunzioScoleriCinefex02.jpg|Still from Cinefex #40 NunzioScoleriCinefex03.jpg|Nunzio suit from Cinefex #40 NunzioScoleriCinefex04.jpg|Nunzio's character head from Cinefex #40 NunzioScoleriCinefex05.jpg|Animator Kevin Kutchaver draws over frame of Nunzio stage shoot from Cinefex #40 TonyScoleriCinefex01.jpg|Still from Cinefex #40 TonyScoleriCinefex02.jpg|Still from Cinefex #40 TonyScoleriCinefex03.jpg|Technician Scott McNamara works on armature for Tony's character head from Cinefex #40 Category:Ghosts Category:GB2 Characters Category:RGB NOW Comics Characters Category:IDW Characters Category:IE:TSG Characters Category:Media Class 4 Category:GBW Characters